Plant of the Week: Weeping Norway Spruce

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture does not promote, support
or recommend plants featured in "Plant of the Week." Please consult your local Extension
office for plants suitable for your region.

Plant of the Week

Weeping Norway SpruceLatin: Picea abies ‘Pendula’

This weeping Norway spruce has a sprawling habit of growth because the timing of branch
hardening is out of kilter. (photo by Jim Robbins)

When on a road trip with my wife, I often drive her to distraction by identifying
the passing trees as we whiz by at 70 miles an hour. Within a given species, most
trees have a certain profile that makes them easily recognizable, but invariably there
are always individuals that fall outside of the norm. Weeping trees, such as the weeping
Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Pendula’), are outliers that make interesting specimen plants in the landscape.

What are the characteristics of the weeping Norway Spruce?

Norway spruce is the most common spruce in the American landscape because it is the
most adaptable, and it grows in most portions of the country except the Deep South
and the desert west. Its usual form is that of a conical tree to 60 feet tall with
a pyramidal habit 4 to 5 times taller than it is wide.

Its evergreen needles are three-fourths of an inch long, overlapping and sharp-pointed
with a deep green color that, in winter, takes on a brooding, blackish green look.
On old trees, spruces produce pendulous, brownish, banana-shaped cones that are 5
to 6 inches long.

What are the origins?

Norway spruce was introduced into the United States during the Colonial Era from the
Old World, where it is found over wide swaths of northern Europe. As a landscape subject,
the large tree form was the Bradford pear of the late 19th century and was planted
everywhere in excess. Eventually it fell from favor and became associated primarily
with old cemeteries, where its association with death didn’t help people develop a
close relationship with the species.

The weeping form, like many other novelty forms of dwarf and slow-growing conifers,
made an appearance in the nursery market in a big way during the late 19th century,
when rock gardening became the rage. Weeping and dwarf conifers often came from mountainous
regions, and they fit in more comfortably with the smaller scale of the rock garden.

What causes a plant to have a weeping habit of growth?

The weeping habit of growth, including the weeping form of Norway spruce, is because
of a biochemical misstep in the sequence of wood hardening in the stem. In typical
plants, new growth emerges from a dormant bud in the spring and extends rapidly to
its full length. Then, beginning at the base of the new stem, the stem begins to get
harder, or woodier, from the base of the branch towards its tip. If the timing is
right, the stem hardens before the forces of gravity bend it downward. If it bends
downward before stem hardening occurs, you end up with a weeping plant. It’s all in
the timing.

We all have experienced firsthand this process of stem hardening. Asparagus shoots,
if collected at the right moment and quickly refrigerated, are crispy and delicious
through their entire length. But, sometimes only the tip of the spear is crispy, with
the basal portion of the shoot woody.

Cell wall development occurs in two distinct steps. In the first stage of cell development,
a cellulose envelope forms that defines the basic size and shape of the cell. In this
initial stage the cell is extremely pliable, but in woody plants, a secondary cell
wall begins forming that adds strength and rigidity to the cell. In woody plants,
the cellulose matrix is in-filled with pectins, hemicelluloses and especially lignin.
The transition from flexible to woody begins with the oldest cells at the base of
the stem and progress upwards to the tip. As all okra connoisseurs know, this transformation
occurs quickly, with a five-day-old pod just right while a six-day-old pod is too
woody to eat.

What do I need to know about using weeping plants in my landscape?

Weeping plants make wonderfully picturesque plants in the landscape, but care and
discretion must be used in locating them. In the wrong place they look odd and unusual,
but if well-sited, they become an interesting focal point in the garden. Weeping Norway
spruce tends to be a sprawler, so staking may be needed to get it to grow tall enough
to present itself well in the landscape. No two weeping Norway spruces are exactly
alike, but generally they are around 15 feet tall and up to twice that width. Once
it attains some size, judicious pruning to direct its development will help create
the perfect picturesque specimen and help control size.

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture does not maintain lists of retail
outlets where these plants can be purchased. Please check your local nursery or other
retail outlets to ask about the availability of these plants for your growing area.